The GAPS dietary changes are specifically designed to reduce the workload on your gut and are hypothesised to directly reduce the issues of intestinal permeability (leaky gut) and inflammation, leading to better overall health.

Here is a summary of why the GAPS diet naturally leads to less food being because it is more rich in nutrients including protein and what that means for your health:

1. Reduced Workload on the Gut

Mechanism	GAPS Diet Effect	Benefit to Gut
Enzyme Demand	Eliminates complex carbohydrates (grains, starches) which require many complex digestive enzymes (like amylase-trypsin) to break down.	Reduced Stress: The gut doesn’t have to produce high levels of complex enzymes, easing the burden on the digestive organs (pancreas, small intestine).
Speed of Digestion	Fats and proteins are digested primarily in the stomach and small intestine, but they move through more deliberately than simple carbs.	Slower Transit: Slower, more complete digestion reduces rapid shifts in the gut environment and allows for better nutrient absorption.
Toxicity/Irritation	Removes anti-nutrients (like lectins and phytic acid in grains) and refined sugars, which are known gut irritants.	Less Damage: Fewer irritants directly contacting the gut lining reduces inflammation and allows the tissue to heal.

2. Reduced Tight Junction Stress and Permeability

The GAPS diet is fundamentally aimed at healing the gut lining, which includes the tight junctions that keep the intestinal barrier sealed.

• High Sugar/Refined Carbs: These are major contributors to gut dysbiosis (an imbalance of gut bacteria) and inflammation, both of which are strongly linked to the weakening of tight junctions.
• GAPS Diet: By removing these problematic foods, you are starving pathogenic bacteria (which thrive on sugar) and reducing the inflammatory signals that physically damage the tight junctions. This creates an environment where the junctions can repair, thereby reducing intestinal permeability (leaky gut).

3. Logic for Better Health and Less Disease

The benefits you are experiencing are expected to lead to better health outcomes because you are addressing the root cause of many systemic issues:

• Reduced Inflammation: Since leaky gut is hypothesized to allow undigested food particles and toxins to enter the bloodstream, triggering a systemic immune response and chronic inflammation, repairing the gut barrier stops this source of inflammation.
• Improved Immune Function: The majority of the immune system resides in the gut. Healing the gut lining helps normalize immune responses.
• Systemic Relief: Many chronic conditions—including allergies, autoimmune disorders, and mood disorders—are theoretically linked to gut health. By significantly reducing the stress and inflammation originating from the gut, you are creating a foundation for the body to heal these downstream conditions.

In summary, the reduced quantity of food, the simplified nutrient composition, and the removal of common gut irritants are all factors that reduce the digestive “burden.” This supports the healing of your tight junctions, reduces systemic inflammation, and logically places you on a path toward better long-term health and potentially less chronic disease.